1. Field of the Invention
This invention is directed to an air or surface deployable, inflatable, flexible, towable container for liquids which is protected against skin rupture on wrecks, rocks, jetties, or during beaching or by collision.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It has been known for a number of years that there is a substantial need to expedite oil pollution control operations including deploying at the scene of a casualty or potential casualty a barge off-loading means whereby oil and other liquids can be off-loaded from tankers, tank ships, barges or vessels as is necessary to refloat them and or to prevent or minimize water pollution by the vessel contained fluids if the vessel suffers hull damage due to heavy seas or becomes grounded.
The above recited needs have been in part satisfied by the use of a few rubberized holding tanks having capacities from about five to over one thousand cubic meters which flotable rubberized holding tanks, once filled with the off-loaded liquids, are towed to discharge facilities which may be other vessels, or at dockside.
However, current models of such inflatable, flexible holding tanks lacked safety features to prevent further pollution often caused by rips or tears in the fabric skin adding to the pollution which the holding tank was intended to diminish or abate.